Purbaya Receives BGN Report, MBG Efficiency Could Reach Rp40 Trillion
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The number of days for distributing free nutritious meals (MBG) is planned to be reduced as a result of the government’s budget efficiency policy. This is based on a direct proposal from the National Nutrition Agency to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa.
The budget efficiency is aimed at addressing economic risks stemming from the ongoing Iran-Israel and US conflict, which continues to cause fluctuations in energy prices and supplies.
Purbaya explained that the MBG budget efficiency is not yet part of the total efficiency value set by President Prabowo Subianto at Rp81 trillion.
“MBG will also implement some efficiencies,” said Purbaya at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday (25/3/2026).
Purbaya stated that the MBG distribution efficiency comes from the BGN’s proposal. The efficiency will be achieved by cutting the distribution days from the usual six days to just five days.
“Saturday is stopped, if I’m not mistaken. It’s usually six days a week, they say five days, I don’t know if it’s been announced yet, but that’s what they said,” Purbaya remarked.
Purbaya added that with this one-day efficiency in distribution, the savings could reach around Rp40 trillion. This is based on the BGN’s calculations.
“But it could be more, and it’s not me cutting it; they are doing it themselves because they say there’s still efficiency possible in the current situation. So don’t say MBG is turning a blind eye; no, they are also implementing efficiency,” Purbaya emphasised.
Purbaya stressed that the efficiency in MBG distribution days has not yet reached an official decision level but is merely a proposal from BGN during a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy.
“So it’s not yet counted in the around Rp80 trillion. They just said it could be this much, so let’s proceed, but with that alone, our buffer is still sufficient. If you see my hair all messed up, then it’s tangled, there’s a problem,” he revealed.
“And that’s not me; during the meeting, among others, the MBG Head said that. I don’t understand the calculations, but they said it’s approximately like that; I can do this, this, this. Alright then, the important thing is there’s efficiency and schoolchildren can still eat sufficiently,” Purbaya asserted.
Before taking this step, Purbaya said BGN will first report to President Prabowo Subianto for the final decision. Therefore, he did not want to detail this policy plan, as it will be directly conveyed by the BGN side.
“But the potential is there; if it’s urgent, it can be implemented, getting Rp40 trillion on its own, he said. This is cutting one day for a year; the budget horizon is a year,” Purbaya stated.